With the stroke of a pen in July 1964, President Lyndon Johnson finished the work started by President John F. Kennedy just months before his assassination.

It was JFK’s dream to see legislation passed that would give all Americans the right to be served in facilities open to all — places such as theaters, hotels, stores and restaurants.

Just days after Kennedy’s death, Johnson told Congress that no memorial, oration or eulogy could be more eloquent to honor Kennedy’s memory than passing the Civil Rights Act.

Over the next few decades, the influence of the law would be felt beyond the African-American community. It paved the way for future civil rights laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, which came 26 years later.